Scotch vs. Whiskey: Do You Know the Difference?

When it comes to alcohol and spirits and their differing names and “categories,” it can get more than a little confusing (such is the case with the Scotch versus whiskey conundrum). Seriously, for those who aren’t liquor connoisseurs, it’s difficult to understand what the difference is between the two. But as with anything, let’s start with the basics: Whiskey is a distilled alcohol made from fermented grain mash—often barley or rye—that’s frequently aged in a wooden cask (the cask is responsible for both its unique color and taste). Whiskey is the global term for the beverage—it can be made in any country—while Scotch has to be made in Scotland. And if you have any doubts about how much the Scots are proud of their Scotch, I spent a semester studying abroad in Edinburgh, and I can definitely attest.

We’ve rounded up how to tell the difference between Scotch and whiskey below. Study up and you’ll never confuse the terms again.

How did whiskey come to be?

If you like this iconic drink, then you should thank the monks for its creation (we’re serious). The beverage dates back to 1000 to 1200 AD when traveling monks brought a distilled form of alcohol into Scotland and Ireland. Since vineyards and grapes were not indigenous to either country, the Scottish and Irish monasteries began fermenting grain mash instead. In the 1500s, King Henry VIII did away with the monasteries, leaving a ton of monks who needed jobs, so they started distilling for a living, and the consumption of the beverage went mainstream.